Crank-case emptying and flushing apparatus



Nov. 12, 1935. c. F. BERTSCHINGER 2,020,350

CRANK CASE EMPTYING AND FLUSHING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 12, 1933 5Shets-Sheet 1 [N VEN TOR 7 ATTORNEY Nov- 2, 1935-. c. F. BERTSCHINGERCRANK CASE EMPTYING AND FLUSHING APPARATUS.

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Nov. 12, 1935. I c. F. BERTSCHINGER 2,020,350

I CRANK CASE EMPTYING AND FLUSHING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 12, 1933 5Sheets-Sheet '3 INVENTOR M XM 7 W jTTORNEY c. F. BERTSCHINGER 2,020,350

CRANK CASE EMPTYING AND FLUSHING APPARATUS '5Shee LS-Sheet 4 Nov. 12,1935.

Filed Aug. 12, 1933' "IOQ Q l A a 50/( I5 '14 a G5 ;7 'LO 47 [N VENTORNov. 12; 1935. c. F. BERTSCHlNGER 2,020,350

CRANK-CASE EMPTYING AND FLUSHING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 12, 1935 5sheets-sheet 5 t u l I INVENTOR Patented Nov. 12, 1935 CRANK-CASEEMPTYING AND FL snmG APPARATUS Charles F. Bertschinger, Rosedale, N. Y.,assignor of three-fourths to Tide Water Oil Company, Bayonne, N. J., acorporation of New Jersey Application August 12, 1933, Serial No.684,805

7 Claims.

In my Patent No. 1,955,169, dated April 1'7, 1934, I have disclosed anapparatus for removing used oil from the crank-cases of automobileengines and for flushing the crank-cases with a relatively lightflushing oil. The embodiment illustrated in said patent has a hose andnozzle to communicate with the crank-case, a waste receptacle, areceptacle for flushing oil, a sight jar constituting a transferchamber, piping and selective valve mechanism, and means for causing theoil to flow in the path selected, the organization being such that oilwithdrawn from the crankcase is delivered into the transfer chamberbefore being discharged to waste, and likewise a charge of flushing oilwithdrawn from the flushing oil receptacle is delivered into thetransfer chamber before being passed to the crank-case.

- The object of the present invention, which embodies the generalfeatures of my earlier disclosure, is to provide a simpler, morepositive, more serviceable and more rapid apparatus.

Other objects are to show the condition of the old oil more plainly bydelivering it against the inside of the transparent wall of the transferchamber so that it fiows down the wall in a film or sheet, and bydelivering the flushing oil in the same manner to wash the glass.

Still another object is to remove coarse solids from the oil drawn outof the crank-case before it enters the sight jar and to provide for thedisposal of material thus caught.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in theart. The features and combinations comprising the present invention canbest be described in the body of the specification.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus, with its nozzle insertedinto the dip-stick opening of the crank-case of an engine, the engineand crank-case being shown somewhat schematically, and an intermediateportion of the hose being broken out;

Fig. 2 is a view on a large scale of a nozzle constituting one of thefeatures of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a side section taken substantially in a central verticalplane, intermediate portions of the transparent transfer chamber and ofthe tank part being broken out;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation, with the lower portion of the tank partbroken away and a. casing in section;

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6. is a sectional plan taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4, with aportion broken away;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section taken on th line of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary section taken on the 5 line 8- -8 of Fig. "l.

The drawings illustrate a portable apparatus which can be readily movedabout and brought to the automobile to be serviced. It is preferably ofupright drum-form and provided with 10 trundling wheels 2 and handles 3.

The lower part of the unit is a tank 4, in which is fixed a smaller tank5, these two tanks forming an outer'receptacle 6 to receive waste oiland an inner receptacle 1 to hold a supply of flushing 15 oil.

Supported by and above the tank part of the apparatus, by means ofsuitable structural arrangements which are illustrated but which neednot be particularly described, is a transfer vessel 20 8 having atransparent side wall 9 permitting the oil that is introduced into thischamber to be viewed. In some instances an opaque-walled chamber havinga sight glass might be used.

The space it between the tank part and the 25 transfer chamber isenclosed by a housing H, and in this space there is a reversible pump12, preferably of a rotary or gear type, which is mounted on a platformIS, on which there is also a reversible electric motor l4 coupled to thepump. 30 The pump has two fittings i5, i5, each of which will serve forintake while the other serves for discharge, and vice-versa. It will beconvenient to speak of the pump as having two sides, meaning thepassages and spaces in which, interchangeably, suction or pressure willexist, depending upon the direction in which the pump is driven. Themotor is controlled by a reversing and shutofi switch I6 projectingabove a cover plate ll, this switch having suitable legends, such asOff, To glass and From glass.

A group of three vertical pipes or conduits I9, 20 and 2i is disposedinside the unit near the front. The pipe l9 extends down to near thebottom of the waste oil receptacle 6, for delivery 45 of waste oil intothis chamber. The pipe 2E! extends down to near the bottom of theflushing oil receptacle '1, for uptake of oil from this chamber. Thepipe 2i has a lateral continuation 22 which extends outside the unit andreceives a 50 hose 23 constituting a flexible part of this conduit. Onthe end of the hose there is a nozzle M which is adapted to be insertedthrough the dip-stick opening 25 of a crank-case 26, to the bottom ofthe crank-case. The end of the hose is provided with a coupling device21 which engages a coupling head 23 on the rear end of the nozzle,permitting the nozzle to be readily detached from the hose and alsopermitting different styles and sizes of nozzles to be applied to thehose.

Not all crank-cases are free of obstructions which would prevent a rigidnozzle reaching the bottom of the crank-case. With a flexible nozzlesuch obstructions may be passed, but an unexpected difllculty wasencountered with flexible nozzles, which was that it was practicallyimpossible to tell when the end of the nozzle had struck bottom, inconsequence of which the nozzle was apt to be pushed in too far, causingits end to curl up. When that happened, a considerable part of the old011 would not be pumped out of the crank-case, and when the flushing oilwas forced into the crank-case it would be delivered in an upwardlydirected jet, without creating the turbulence that results when thestream is delivered below a body of oil collecting in the crank-case,and sometimes causing oil to be driven out through the breather opening.

This difliculty has been overcome by devising a flexible nozzle that hasa relatively stiff end portion. The nozzle illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2is preferably made of flexible metal tubing having a helically formedwall. A short length I8 of this nozzle at the outer end is given anapplication of solder, which stiffens the convolutions. A longer, rearportion 39 of the nozzle is preferably treated in the same way, to giveit stiffness for pushing, the stiffness not being so great, however,that the portion of the nozzle outside the crank-case can not be curvedor bent to avoid obstacles on the outside of the engine. Theintermediate portion 43 of the nozzle, which goes into the crank-case,is left substantially flexible. This nozzle can be readily inserted allthe way to the bottom of a crank-case, notwithstanding the presence ofobstructions in line with the dip-stick opening, and it is possible toknow when the stiff forward portion l8 touches bottom. Furthermore,there is no danger that this end will turn upward.

A filter or screening device 23 is inserted in the outer portion of theconduit 2|, 22, to keep coarse solids and grit drawn from the crank-casefrom passing through the pump l2 and valves and to the transfer chamber8.

The upper ends of the pipes I9, 20 and 2| are connected to openings inthe base plate portion 30 of a selective valve device 3|, which projectsabove the cover plate H. In the upper part of the flxed body 32 of thisvalve device there is a header chamber 33. The passage openings in thebase 30 are connected with passage openings in the bottom of this headerchamber by tubes 34, one of which is shown in Fig. 3. n the cutsides ofthese tubes there are three slidable valves 35, 36 and 31. The valvesare indicated in Fig. 6, and the valve 36 is seen in. elevation in Fig.3. These valves are of a known kind and need not be speciallyillustrated. Suflice it to say that the tube 34 of such a valve does nothave a through bore, but is walled across intermediate its ends and hasports through its wall at opposite sides of the septum, and that theslidable valve element is internally constructed so as to open and closecommunication between the ports. The valves are normally held up inclosed positions by springs, one of which is shown in Fig. 3,- andmarked 33. These valves are illustrative of selective valve means foropening the passageway aoaaaso through any one of the three conduitsrepresented by the pipes I3, 20 and 2|, while the other conduits areclosed. Suitable valves designed for direct manual operation might beemployed, but convenience and certainty of operation are better servedby the provision of a selector. The selector preferably employed has arotatable and depressible shaft 40 passing through the top of the body32, the top of this shaft having an operating button 4| and its lowerportion carrying a radial arm 42. By turning the button, this arm can beswung to engage any one of the valves 35,

35 and 31, without engaging the other two, whereupon downward pressureof the button will open the selected valve. In order to hold anypne ofthe valves open, the shaft 40 is provided with a lateral pin 44 toengage any one of three bayonet slots 45 in a boss 46.

The knob 4| bears an index, and the top of the body 33 has properlypositioned indications, such as Car, Flush and Waste.

A common pipe or connection 41 opens into the header chamber 33 (seeFig. 6), and this pipe is connected by a tube 48 with one side (fittingl5) of the pump I2.

The other side of the pump (fitting I5) is connected with thetransparent transfer chamber 8 by a tube 49, this tube being connectedto a pipe 50 screwed into an opening in the bottom 5| of the transferchamber.

The pipe 50 opens into a pocket 52 formed in said bottom. A plate 53having outlet openings 54 is seated in the top of this pocket. A hollowboss 55 on this plate has a port in communication with the pocket, and aball check valve 55 inside the boss rests on the edges of the port. Anuptake pipe 51 is screwed at its lower end into the boss, and on itsupper end is a reaction spinner 58. Oil delivered through the nozzles 53of this spinner is thrown against and distributed over the inside of thetransparent wall 9, and as it flows down this wall in a sheet itscondition can be observed to advantage.

'When oil is being pumped into the transfer chamber or sight vesselthrough the uptake pipe open automatically, while the check valve 58prevents loss of suction and drawing in of air through the uptake pipe51.

Two additional pipes 54 and 85 extend down from. the region of the coverplate I1. The lower end of the pipe 34 passes through an opening in 00the top wall of the waste receptacle 6, and its upper end is providedwith a connection head 56 to which the coupling device 21 on the end ofthe hose 23 can be applied. This pipe also serves as a guide throughwhich to pass a gauge rod 31 to es the bottom of the waste oilreceptacle.

The pipe is merely a guide for a gauge rod 53 to gauge the contents ofthe flushing oil receptacle 1.

The mode of operation in the use of the apparatus is as follows: Thenozzle 24 is inserted through the opening of the crank-case of a car.The valve device 3| is set to the "Car position. This opens the valve 31of the conduit 2|, to which the hose 23 is connected, the valves 35 and36 being closed. The motor switch I is then turned to To glass position.This drives the pump in the direction which causes the old oil in thecrank-case'to be drawn in through the conduit 24, 23, 22, 2| to theheader chamber and thence through the connections 41, 48 to the fittingi5 of the pump. From the fitting ii of the pump, this oil is forcedthrough the connections 49, 50 to the pocket 52 in the base of the sightjar or transfer chamber 8. The check valve 56 opens, and the checkvalves 50 being closed, the oil passes up through the uptake pipe 51 andout through the spinner 58 against the inside of the glass wall of thejar, and collects in the jar. When all the oil in the crank-case hasbeen transferred to the jar, the pump motor is stopped and the valvedevice is set to the Waste position. This opens the valve 35 of thewaste conduit IS, the valves 35 and 31 being closed. The switch is thenturned to the From glass po- 'sition. This causes the pump to be drivenin the direction reverse to that of the preceding operation. The body ofold oil in the sight jar is then drawn through the outlet openings 54past the check valves 60, the check valve 56 being closed, and throughthe pocket 52 and the connections 50, 49 to the fitting l5 of the pump.From the other pump fitting IS the oil is forced through the connections48, 41 to the header chamber 33, and thence down through the pipe 19into the waste receptacle.

When all the oil in the transfer chamber 9 has been delivered to waste,the motor is again stopped, and the valve device is set to the Flush"position. This opens the valve 35, the valves 35 and 31 being closed.Then the switch is turned to the To glass" position. Flushing oil isthen drawn from the flushing oil receptacle I, through the pipe 20 tothe header chamber 33, and thence through the connections 61 and 48 tothe pump, and from the pump it is forced through the con nections 49 and5D to the uptake pipe 51 of the transfer chamber 8. This enables thecustomer to see the charge of flushing oil that is to be introduced intothe crank-case. When a sufiicient charge of flushing oil has been takeninto the sight jar, the motor is stoped. and the valve device Si is setto the Car" position. The motor is again reversed and the charge offlushing oil is drawn from the transfer chamber and forced through thehose and nozzle into the lower part of the crank-case. The turbulencecreated in the crank-case dislodges and holds in suspension solidmatter, and an effective cleaning is accomplished. Next, the motor andpump are reversed and the dirty flushing oil is returned to the transferchamber. 'Finally, the valve device is set to the Waste position, themotor and pump are reversed again, and the dirty flushing oil isdischarged into the waste receptacle.

This operation may be modified in the following manner: When old oil iswithdrawn from the crank-case, a certain amount of solids is caught andheld by the filter or screen device 29 and prevented from passing to andthrough the pump and the valves. The filter is accessible and can bereadily opened and cleaned, but if the solids are allowed to remain inthe filter they will be carried back into the crank-case by the flushingoil. However, after the old oil has been removed from the crank caseinto the transfer chamber, instead of discharging this oil from thetransfer chamber to the waste receptacle in the manner that has beendescribed, the nozzle may be pulled out of the crank-case anddisconnected from the hose. The coupling device 21 may then be appliedto the head 68 of the pipe 54, the gauge rod 51 having been removed,and, without changing the setting of the valve device 3|, but by settingthe switch l5 so that the pump is is operated in the reverse direction,the old oil may be pumped from the transfer chamber out throughthefllter and hose, carrying the solids out of the filter, and thencethrough the pipe 64 to waste.

If desired, the dirty flushing oil may also be pumped from the transferchamber to the waste receptacle in this same manner. It follows that theconduit I9 and the valve 35 need not necessarily be used and might evenbe omitted.

If the transfer chamber 8 should be pumped over-full at any time, theexcess oil will pass to glee waste receptacle through an overflowconduit The apparatus is charged with flushing oil by 20 inserting thenozzle in a container, setting the valve device to the Car position, andoperating the pump in the "To glass direction, atter which the valvedevice is set to the Flush position, and the pump is operated in theFrom 25 glass direction, thereby delivering this flushing oil into theflushing oil receptacle. These operations maybe repeated as necessary inorder to put the desired amount of flushing oil into the apparatus.

In order to empty the waste receptacle, the valve device is set in theWaste" position, and the pump is operated in the To glass direction,thereby raising waste oil into the sightglass, whereupon the valvedevice is set in the To car" position and the pump is operated in theFrom glass direction, so as to empty the sight-jar and discharge the oilthrough the hose. These operations may be repeated until the wastereceptacle is empty.

Advantages of the apparatus and the combinations of parts which havebeen described are the quickness with which the operations of drainingand flushing crankcases can be performed, freedom from leakage, thesimplicity and convenience 45 of the controls, and the simplicity andeconomy of the construction, which requires but little and inexpensivepiping and few valves and a single motor and a single pump, which pumphandles both the old oil and the flushing oil, moving them 50 to andfrom the crank-case and the transfer chamber, from the transfer chamberto the waste receptacle, and from the flushing oil receptacle to thetransfer chamber.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for removing oil from crank-cases and for flushing thesame, having three conduits, namely, a conduit adapted to be placed incommunication with a crank-case, a conduit for delivering oil to waste,and a conduit for intake of 60 flushing oil, a reversible pump, aconnection between said three conduits and one side of said pump, valvemeans for selectively placing any one of said three conduits incommunication with said connection to one side of said pump, and a 65transfer chamber connected with the other side of said pump.

2. Apparatus for removing oil from crank-cases and for flushing thesame, having a waste receptacle, a receptacle for flushing oil, threeconduits, namely a conduit adapted to be placed in communication with acrank-case, a conduit for delivering oil to said waste receptacle, and aconduit for withdrawing flushing oil from said flushing oil receptacle,a reversible pump, a connection between said three conduits and one sideof said pump, valve means for selectively placing any one of said threeconduits in communication with said connection to one side of said pump,a transfer chamber connected to the other side of said pump, a hoseconnected to the first-named conduit, and an entrance to said wastereceptacle by means of which 011 can be delivered from said transferchamber through said pump, conduit and hose to the waste receptacle.

3. Apparatus for removing oil from crank-cases and for flushing thesame, haying a waste receptacle, a receptacle for flushing oil, threeconduits, namely, a conduit adapted to be placed in communication with acrank-case, a conduit for deliveringoil to said waste receptacle, and acon duit for withdrawing flushing oil from said flushing oil receptacle,a reversible pump, a connection between said three conduits and one sideof said pump, valve means for selectively placing any one. of said threeconduits in communication with said connection to one side of said pump,a transfer chamber connected to the other side of said pump, a hoseconnected to the first-named conduit, a illter in said conduit, and anentrance to said waste receptacle by means of which oil can be deliveredfrom' said transfer chamber through said pump, conduit and hose to thewaste receptacle.

4. Apparatus for removing oil from crank-cases and for flushing thesame, having a waste receptacle, a receptacle for flushing oil, threeconduits, namely, a conduit adapted to be placed in communication with acrank-case, a conduit for delivering oil to said waste receptacle, and aconduit for withdrawing flushing oil from said flush-' ing oilreceptacle, a reversible pump, a connection between said three conduitsand one side of said pump, valve means for selectively placing any oneof said three conduits in communication with said connection to one sideof said pump, a transfer v chamber connected to the other sideot saidpump,

pipe extending down to said waste receptacle, to 5 the upper end ofwhich pipe said hose can be applied when said nozzle is detached.

5. Apparatus for removing oil from crankcases and for flushing the same,having a waste receptacle, a receptacle for flushing oil, two con- 10duits, namely, a conduit adapted to be placed in communication with acrank-case and a conduit for withdrawing flushing oil from said flushingoil receptacle, a reversible pump, a connection between said twoconduits and one side of said 15 pump, a transfer chamber connected tothe other side of said pump, a hose connected to the firstnamed conduit,and an entrance to said waste receptacle by means of which oil can bedelivered from said transfer chamber through said 20 pump, conduit andhose.

6. An apparatus of the character described, including a sight vesselhaving an uptake pipe and an outlet, a reversible pump, one side ofwhich is connected with said uptake pipe and said outlet, 28 andautomatic valve means for permitting flow through said uptake pipe whilepreventing flow through said outlet, and vice-versa.

7. An apparatus of the character described, including a transparenttransfer chamber, an uptake pipe in said chamber having means forthrowing oil against the inside of the transparent wall of said chamber,means for withdrawing oil from a crank case and delivering it throughsaid uptake pipe against said wall, and means for thereafter deliveringa charge of oil for flushing the crank-case I through said uptake pipe'and against said wall, whereby the wall is washed.

CHARLES F. BERTSCHINGER.

